Rare January tornado hits Vancouver, Washington

A rare tornado hit Vancouver, Washington (just north of Portland, Oregon) on Thursday at noon local time. The unusual twister demolished a rowing club, downed power lines, uprooted trees, and tossed shopping carts into cars along its four mile path. No injuries were reported, though. The state of Washington averages about two tornadoes per year. Yesterday's tornado was only the third January tornado observed in Washington since 1950, according to the National Climatic Data Center (2000 and 2006 were the other years). Tornadoes were also reported yesterday in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. About 100 houses were damaged and destroyed and 11 people were injured in Lowndes County, Mississippi from one of the tornadoes. A total of 34 tornadoes have been confirmed for the severe weather outbreak that began on January 7th, and total number of tornadoes could reach 60 or more by the time all the damage surveys are complete. More tornadoes are expected today from the Florida Panhandle northeastward to coastal North Carolina. Watch the Weather Underground's Severe Weather Page and Tornado Page to keep up with the storms.

Katrina damage claims exceed $3 quadrillionAccording to the Associated Press, $3,014,170,389,176,410 in claims have been filed against the federal government over damage from the failure of levees and flood walls following Hurricane Katrina. Of the 489,000 total claims, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said 247 were for at least $1 billion, including one for $3 quadrillion.

"That's the mother of all high numbers," said Loren Scott, a Baton Rouge-based economist.

Our news commented that for Springfield there were 63 tornado warnings over 15 hours of which at least 10 passed over the city. It was a very long scary night that these storms kept coming and coming and coming

What's this I hear about a big rain and wind event hitting the Northern Gulf Coast?

Is this something we in New Orlenas should be concerned about?

From Weather.com: zip code 70130 ...LOW PRESSURE AREA IN THE GULF WILL BRING THE THREAT OF STRONG WINDS... MINOR COASTAL FLOODING...AND HEAVY RAINFALL ON WEDNESDAY...

AN AREA OF SURFACE LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO TODAY. THIS LOW PRESSURE AREA IS THEN FORECAST TO MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY... REACHING THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COASTAL WATERS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THIS LOW WILL INTERACT WITH A LARGE AND RETREATING AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES RESULTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GALE FORCE WINDS ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS WEDNESDAY.

STRONG EAST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH MAY START TO IMPACT COASTAL SECTIONS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA TO THE WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA LATE TOWARD DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY. THESE STRONG WINDS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO SPREAD NORTHEAST TOWARD THE MISSISSIPPI COAST BY MIDDAY ON WEDNESDAY. TIDE LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE RAPIDLY WEDNESDAY DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THE STRONG WINDS AND RISING ASTRONOMICAL TIDES. WATER LEVEL RISES OF 2 TO 3 FEET ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE ASTRONOMICAL LOW TIDE LEVELS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING TO THE TIME OF HIGH TIDES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THIS INCREASE MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING COASTAL AREAS...OUTSIDE OF THE LEVEE PROTECTION SYSTEM...FROM WAVELAND MISSISSIPPI TO THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF LAKES MAUREPAS...PONTCHARTRAIN AND BORGNE... TO NEAR PORT FOURCHON LOUISIANA.

IN ADDITION TO TIDAL CONCERNS...THE STRONG WINDS MAY CREATE STRONG CROSS WINDS ON ELEVATED ROADS AND BRIDGES... AND STRONGER WIND GUSTS COULD ALSO DOWN WEAKENED TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED OBJECTS.

WIDESPREAD RAIN...POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES...ALONG WITH ISOLATED EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED NEAR THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST. THESE RAINFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD NOT CAUSE FLOOD PROBLEMS...HOWEVER... DRAINAGE OF RAINWATER COULD BE IMPEDED BY THE HIGH TIDES IN COASTAL AREAS.

RESIDENTS AND MARINERS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND COASTAL MISSISSIPPI... ESPECIALLY THOSE LIVING IN OR TRAVELING THROUGH LOW LYING COASTAL AREAS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SYSTEM.

The Australia Day Challenge Internationl Rugby League Match Date: 26 January 2008 Location: Hodges Stadium, University of North FloridaAudience:10,000 Rugby League fans from around the globeContact (904) 536-7501 or www.australiadaychallenge.com

Two of the best International Professional Rugby League teams are set to clash in the USA for the first time. The South Sydney Rabbitohs (Australia) will for the first time play the Leeds Rhinos (England) in an international Rugby League match held in the USA. Jacksonville's very own American National Rugby League team the Jacksonville Axemen are kindly helping host the teams while they are in Jacksonville and are organizing all ticket sales.

These guys wear no padding no helmet and only 17 player per team(13 players on the field at one time), no stop action.....this is the real man's game. Anyone in Jacksonville go out and have a look and tell me what ya think. Cheers AussieStorm

Heres a look at Sunday Morning from the GFS Taz. It will be cold across the nation. Also i want to note that there will be some light to moderate precip in California precip as a postively tilted 500mb trough digs southward. Possibly a developing mid to upper level low along the vorticity lobe which is the San Fran snow event that the GFS is picking up on. The 540 line will be far enough south but it still looks very ambitous and robust at this point with the GFS bias on SW cold weather events. As we get closer to the event we will get a better idea.

EXTENDED...(THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY)A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WEST COAST WILL OFFSHOREFLOW WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL FOR MOST LOCATIONS AND FAIRSKIES THROUGH SATURDAY. A WEAK SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE PACIFICNORTHWEST AND THEN INTO THE GREAT BASIN LATE SATURDAY WILL DECREASETHE OFFSHORE FLOW ON SATURDAY. BY SUNDAY OFFSHORE FLOW STRENGTHENSAGAIN AND THE REGION LOOKS TO REMAIN DRY. SOME COLDER CONTINENTALAIR FROM CANADA LOOKS LIKE IT COULD START TO FILTER INTO THE REGIONSUNDAY AND MONDAY OF NEXT WEEK.

DISCUSSION...STRONG MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THEGREAT LAKES-NEW ENGLAND REGION CONTINUES TO SLOWLY DRIFT EASTWARDAND THIS DRAGGING ASSOCIATED SFC COLD FRONT SE OF THE S FLAPENINSULA COAST. MUCH DRIER AIR FILTERING IN BEHIND THE FRONTLEADING TO A COOL OVERNIGHT WITH BOTH MAV/MET GUIDANCE SHOWINGUPPER 30S NEAR LAKE OKEE TO THE MID 50S ALONG THE SE CST.

very cold weather over the state of CA before the end of the month. It will almost certainly be bitterly cold over 80-90 percent of the Continental U.S.; the question is whether not not (or to what degree) this unmodified Arctic air may make it west of the Rockies. The GFS and ECMWF have been flip-flopping over the past few days, but each model has had its fair share of weird and unbelievable prognostications (heavy snowfall in San Francisco, deep freeze in San Diego (and I mean on the beaches!))

Wind stress caused by increase easterlies associated with the MJO slows down the the angular momentum of the Earth causing the Earth's rotation to slow by 3/10 of a millisecond. That is how I remembered it.

La Nina, Tropical Cyclones (Helen and 93P), the Monsoon trough and MJO all ganged up on Northeastern Australia to bring heavy rainfall. If that had happen in Central America it would of been devastating.

Tropical Invest 91P is located bear 17.0S-164.5E, movement stationary. Surface winds are near 20-30 knots and minimum central pressure is near 1006 mb. Wind shear is near 10-15 knots and SSTs are 85F.

A recent QuikSCAT pass indicate the low-level close circulation of 91P is rather broad so center fix was difficult with associated gale force winds in two bands to the south and north quadrants. Estimated surface pressure is near 1005 mb based on synoptic reports. Visible imagery showed a well-organized disturbance with excellent tropical cyclone signatures, deep convection and curve bands. Global models indicate conditions will remain favorable for a tropical cyclone form in the next day or so as the system moves towards the southwest around the subtropical ridge. Furthermore, models have indicated beyond this forecast cycle that 91P may grow into strong extratropical storm that may affect New Zealand.

Tropical Disturbance Summary 2130z 14Jan========================================An area of convection (93P) near 19.1S 147.2E or 150 NM south-southeast of Cairns, Australia. Animated infrared satellite imagery depicts a consolidating low level circulation center positioned on the eastern edge of a large area of deep convection. SMSI Image indicates curved banding over the western quadrant wrapping into the northern quadrant. Recent radar data from the townsville radar shows a well-defined low level circulation center over water located about 25 NM northeast of Townsville. Surface observation indicates a surface low pressure of 996 mb and surface winds sustained near 30 knots increasing in intensity over the past 6 hours ast the low level circulation center tracks southward.

Upper level environment is favorable with weak to moderate vertical wind shear and an anticyclone over the center as well as good poleward outflow enhanced by a trough to the southwest. Maximum sustained winds near the center is 22-28 knots with a minimum sea level pressure of 996 mb. The major limiting factor is interaction with land which should continue to hinder significant debelopment for the next 12-24 hours, Therefore the potential for development of a significant tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours is FAIR.

3:40 P.M. Patrap out of surgery. Surgeon "Dr.James Brown" said everything went well... Pat is in recovery now... Barefoot and Redhead are here keeping me calm... Will post again soon... Thanks for all the love and prayers and well wishes... Teresa...